Home is where the heart is for Magette family

It’s safe to say Josh Magette and his family fell in love with Tasmania as much as the State fell in love with him.

Magette will jet back to the Island State in August after inking a one-year deal to return for the 2022/23 Hungry Jack’s NBL season.  

“My wife and I have been talking since we got back [to Alabama] that Tasmania really felt like home. The JackJumpers is such a family-friendly organisation and we met a lot of great people. That’s not always the case everywhere you go, but everyone is more than willing to go out of their way to make us feel like Hobart’s our home and we’re very grateful for it… you can’t put a price tag the way a community can make you feel” Magette said.

The JackJumpers have locked in all of the Australian players on the roster for NBL23 after the re-signings of big man Will Magnay and defensive beast Matt Kenyon, while Head Coach Scott Roth has  also committed to the club for the next three seasons.

Magette is excited to ‘run it back’ with the group that won 15 of the last 20 regular season games to qualify for a fairy tale NBL Finals series in the club’s inaugural season.

“With how we finished this season and the momentum that we were building towards the end of the year, and how our family was treated, it was a first-class organisation from the time we touched down in Tasmania, so it was a no brainer to come back”.

“We are on an upward trajectory, guys just kept improving as year went on and I didn’t want to miss the boat next year when I could see this team taking an even bigger step. It would really hurt me to not be a part of that”.

“The chemistry and continuity we have will be awesome going forward. That’s one huge benefit finishing play-offs so deep into May, is when we all get back in August we’re just picking back up where we left off, you don’t have time to lose those habits and we’ll just keep building”.  

Magette said the JackJumpers ticked all the boxes when considering his next move.

“I knew I wanted to be here, especially with the Finals run and to make it all the way to the final was really something special and something I wanted to be a part of in the future, I didn’t even entertain any other offers” he said.

“I’m really grateful to be in this league, a lot of guys want to get to Australia and don’t get the opportunity.

“The community of Tasmania just blew me away. Winning games helps but they were unbelievable, so I can’t wait to carry that energy over into next season and be back in the community”.  

Josh and wife Christina will welcome a second child in Tasmania this December, a brother for 18-month-old Josephine.

“It's such a family organisation. The wives are really close and with three other babies around, it felt right, it felt like home and something we want to continue to be a part of.

“We got the call when we were in Hobart that it was going to be a baby boy so that’s something that we’ll remember for a long time and the fact that he’ll be born in Tasmania is something that he’ll always have, like his interesting fact at school every year”.

 “We’re circling a few names around, but Jack’s not on the list unfortunately” Magette laughed.